Burbank, CA – The Burbank Unified School District, in coordination with the Burbank Arts for All Foundation, is seeking 1,000 individuals to donate $100 each for musical instrument repair and replacement in Burbank schools. The campaign is the first stage of a multi-faceted, multi-year campaign to raise the $1.2million required to update the District’s musical instrument inventory. Individuals wishing to contribute may do so on the campaign home page.
The $100,000 target represents approximately 10% of the $1.2million identified need to repair or replace the School District’s musical instruments. On the importance of the program, Superintendent, Matt Hill, said, “Music instruction is essential to unlock the potential in each and every child.” Peggy Flynn, Visual and Performing Arts Coordinator, added, “Music education supports a sense of community, develops collaborative skills, reinforces self discipline, brings joy, and allows people from any part of the world to share in a common language.” The District maintains an inventory of hundreds of string, woodwind, brass, and percussion instruments. Every year, the District offers instrumental musical education for over 9,000 middle- and high school students.
This first stage of the campaign is being coordinated by the Burbank Arts for All Foundation, a local nonprofit whose mission is to ensure every student in Burbank public schools receives a quality arts education as part of their core curriculum. “The Burbank Arts for All Foundation is very excited to join the community in support of Burbank Unified and their goal to repair or replace instruments for middle and high school students,” said Trena Pitchford, Executive Director of the Burbank Arts for All Foundation, “We invite the community to join us in the effort and become a part of 1,000 individuals who support Music Is Instrumental with a $100 donation that is 100% tax deductible and 100% dedicated to helping kids in our public schools.”
Over the past 10 years, the Burbank Arts for All Foundation has raised and donated over $429,000 through 261 grants in support of a wide variety of arts education programs in the Burbank schools. To ensure 100% of the funds from this campaign go directly to the schools, the Burbank Arts for All Foundation is covering the administrative expenses incurred during the campaign.
The campaign to repair or replace Burbank schools’ musical instruments is part of a larger discussion regarding the overall direction, and needs, of Burbank’s musical education programs. A cornerstone of this discussion is Burbank Unified School District’s Arts for All Strategic Plan, which outlines the District’s long-term arts education goals covering seven focus areas, and which included the formation of the Burbank Arts for All Foundation.
Last year, a similar campaign was successfully run to raise $90,000 for S.T.E.A.M. programs. The campaign, titled “90 for 90”, recruited 90 individuals to donate $1,000 each, thus raising $90,000 in total funding. This year’s “Music is Instrumental” campaign kicks off by seeking a smaller donation amount ($100) from a wider donor pool (1,000). The goal is partially to make it easier to support the program, but also to raise awareness for the musical education needs in Burbank schools.
The “1,000 for $100” campaign runs until December 21st, 2017, when the total donation will be presented at the final Board of Education meeting of the calendar year. The overall campaign, seeking to raise $120,000 of the $1.2million by the end of this school year, will include multiple components, including a Spring concert, corporate sponsorship, and other fundraising efforts.